


It's been a long, long time....

by the_winter_captain



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: I just watched it yesterday so I don't remember the dialogue, Kinda, M/M, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), also, but also kinda, endgame spoilers, not exactly a fix it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 16:19:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18663937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_winter_captain/pseuds/the_winter_captain
Summary: "You wanna tell me about her?" Sam asks, staring at the gold band around Steve's finger. "No, I don't think I will." He said, getting up."And why not?!""Because it's not a her."





	It's been a long, long time....

**Author's Note:**

> So, while I loved the end to Endgame, I got this idea from [https://lightningstrikes-art.tumblr.com/post/184536568224/the-end-of-the-line](this) beautiful art and I just had to write something!

When Steve didn't show up on the platform everyone looked at each other, worried. Then, Bucky saw him. Sitting on a bench, looking at peace, finally, after so long. He nodded in his direction, Sam being the only one with enough courage to approach him.

Bucky heard snippets of their conversation, saw the much older man give Sam the shield. Then, Bucky actually started to pay attention.

"You wanna tell me about her?" Sam asks, staring at the gold band around Steve's finger.

"No, I don't think I will." He said, getting up.

"And why not?!"

"Because it's not a her." Sam's eyes widened in realization, his gaze moving to Bucky.

"Is it...." He gestured to the long haired man.

"That is for me to know and for you to find out on your own." He said as he started walking towards the others.

Bucky smiled at him. This was all he had ever wanted. For Steve to get to live a fulfilling life, get a happy ending.

"How'd you do it?" Bucky asked, nothing above a whisper, fearing if he spoke up his voice would break.

"I went back and made sure you never fell. Then when the Valkyrie went into the ice, I didn't go down with it. We had to keep it a secret for a long time. But it was all worth it, because I had you by my side." He took Bucky's left hand in his, running his thumb over the metal knuckles. Bucky placed his flesh hand on top of Steve's. His hand was worn down, covered in age spots and thinner than he had seen it in a long time. But it was warm, calloused from using the shield for such a long time.

"I've got to go back, my Bucky is probably wondering where I am." He let go, climbing up onto the platform.

"Steve wait." Bucky breathed out. Bright blue eyes looked at him, waiting.

"Take care."

"You too Buck."

And then he was gone.

But in his place stood a much younger Steve. His Steve.

"Buck, what's wrong!?" He rushed over to Bucky, taking his face in his hands.

"Nothing's wrong, I'm just so happy to see you." He felt tears sliding down his cheeks, his face hurting from so much smiling.

"I was gone for maybe ten minutes." Steve had an utterly confused look on his face.

"I know, promise me that what you said to Sam is true, you're done being Cap?" They both looked over to where Sam was, where the much older Steve had left him. 

"Anything for you Bucky." Steve whispered, pressing their foreheads together.

"Till the end of the line right?"

"Till the end of the line." Bucky leaned forward, pressing his lips to Steve's. 

-

-

-

Steve walked back to his car, the wind blowing through his grey hair. Bucky had looked so young, yet so much different than _his_ Bucky. He arrived home, the sweet sounds of jazz pouring through the open windows.

He walked up the steps, slowly, the smile still bright on his face.

"Buck, I'm home!" He called out when he opened the door.

"Finally!" Bucky stepped into his line of sight.

"I wasn't even gone that long!" Steve protested, sitting down on the couch. Bucky sat next to him, taking Steve's hand in his own.

"How'd it go?" 

"Good, Sam took the shield."

"That's good." The music continued playing around them. 

_Kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again, It's been a long, long time._

_Haven't felt like this, my dear, since can't remember when, It's been a long, long time_

"Dance with me Stevie." Bucky stood up as quickly as he was able to, pulling on Steve's hand.

"Buck, you've been trying to teach me how to dance for the last 90 years." He protested, standing up as well.

"Maybe one day I'll actually succeed." Bucky pulled him close, like he had all those times in their tiny Brooklyn apartment. Or in empty bars. Or even in the quiet of their home, with the curtains drawn and the lights turned off.

Steve closed his eyes, leaning his head on Bucky's shoulder.

And suddenly, he felt like a young man, having just won the war. 

Back home, both scarred from what they had seen, happy to be alive. If he really tried he could almost image it.

Bucky's hair a rich dark brown, not the almost white that it was now, his face smooth and free of wrinkles. His own hair the sunshine blond it had been. No longer carefree, but still very young, with a whole life ahead of them.

In another time it may have not been possible. But this time, this time was different.

_It's been a long, long time...._

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed!! So, a bit of explanation, old Steve is from an alternate time line where he and Bucky survived the war and lived together and when gay marriage was legalized they got married, The young Steve is the one from the original time line, that rescued Bucky from Hydra in TWS and basically the Steve from the entire MCU. I kinda made them have memories of the original time line and vise versa, kinda like Nebula's situation. It makes no sense I know


End file.
